


'Till We Both See the Light

by GeekintheCorner



Series: Brothers and Bats [2]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Nightwing (Comics), Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Batfamily (DCU), Brotherly Bonding, Bruce Wayne is Bad at Feelings, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Canon Rewrite, Canon is tossed into a blender, Dick Grayson Needs a Hug, Dick Grayson is Nightwing, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Jason Todd Needs A Hug, Jason Todd is Robin, No Slash, No Smut, No creepy shipping here y'all, No proofreading we die like mne, Sort of? - Freeform, They Get Hugs, What-If, or he will be
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:35:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23726929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GeekintheCorner/pseuds/GeekintheCorner
Summary: The development of Jason and Dick as brothers and how that affects the future. With a very small amount of Young Justice thrown in for fun. In short, interconnected, parts.
Relationships: Alfred Pennyworth & Everyone, Artemis Crock & Dick Grayson, Artemis Crock/Wally West, Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson & Jason Todd, Dick Grayson & Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson & Wally West, Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne
Series: Brothers and Bats [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1686169
Comments: 19
Kudos: 166





	'Till We Both See the Light

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Still not mine, why do you keep asking?
> 
> Title from "Friend, please" by Twenty One Pilots
> 
> Warnings: Censored cursing, self doubt, future violence
> 
> Part of a series but could be read alone.

Jason slams the Batmobile door as he hops out, the engine is still on and the screech of tires is still ringing through the cave. He hears the other door slam behind him and he whirls to face the man who closed it.

"I could have handled that!"

Batman is silent, methodically loosening his gauntlets already.

"You didn't have to sideline me! It was just a robbery for heaven's sake!"

"You had a damaged ankle, in fact you still do, sit."

Batman pulls off the cowl and gestures towards the medbay. Despite his definitely sprained ankle Jason does not in fact sit, he's too pissed off to do so.

"I've fought with worse before, and I know  _ you  _ have! There was absolutely no reason to lock me in a car Bruce you locked me in a  _ car  _ and left me  _ three _ blocks away!"

"Robin," there's a warning in Batman's growl but Jason ignores it.

"No, Bruce, you can't just brush it off, that's twice you've done this now, I want to know why!"

Two weeks ago when Scarecrow had attacked Park Row Batman had benched Robin the exact same way as he had tonight. Jason had understood, Scarecrow was a much more formidable rogue and he had still been recovering from the fear gas he had been dosed with the previous night. But tonight was nowhere near the same level of danger, B had no grounds for leaving him locked in the Batmobile. 

Jason locks eyes with his guardian, unwilling to back down this time, he's in the right this time and he knows it.

"You were emotionally compromised." 

Robin reels back, blinking hard. He opens his mouth to sputter out a confused "What?" but snaps it closed again just as fast, because he's smart, Batman wouldn't have allowed him to be Robin otherwise, maybe not as deductive as Bruce or Dick, but he can put two and two together. Both attacks had been in his old neighborhood, the one where he stole and cried and loved and fought for the first eleven years of his life. Robin was always more vicious when a rogue attacked the poorer, lower parts of Gotham, because those places were carved into Jason's very soul. However it wasn't as if this was the first time in his two months of being Robin that they had been attacked, no this was directly related to the nightmare fueled haze of two weeks ago. Jason doesn't know what exactly he mumbled or screamed during those six hours after he was hit with the gas, but now he wouldn't be surprised if it had something to do with Park Row or his mom. 

“B, we deal with potentially  _ emotionally compromising  _ s*it all the time, that doesn’t mean you can lock me in a car! Do you really think I can’t control myself just because a fight happens to be in my old neighborhood?”

Batman doesn’t say anything, and in Jason’s mind that says everything.

“Fine ,” he snarls, ripping the mask off his face and throwing it to the ground. What that means he doesn’t know, and he honestly doesn’t care what Bruce thinks it means either, right now his one and only goal is to get away from the person he thought trusted him enough not to lose it. But no, the guardian he had just began to trust  _ and maybe love  _ doesn’t trust him as far as he could throw him. 

Jason storms up the stairs, ankle twinging the whole way, careless of Alfred’s no capes upstairs rule. He rips the cape off too and it floats somewhere to the ground as he takes the stairs two at a time. He slams his door open and pulls a hoodie over the top of his suit. He swears under his breath when he remembers he dismantled his getaway bag about a month ago, so much for trust. Too bad. He simply grabs his wallet, phone, and puts a pair of sweatpants before opening his window and painfully shimmying his way down the gutter. 

___________________________________________________________

An hour later he’s made his way to the highway that runs on the opposite side of the manor. He knows Bruce will have expected him to go towards Crime Alley, which was his first choice, so he simply didn’t go that way. Once Bruce figures out he hadn’t just holed up in his room Jason’ll be too far away for him to find. Which is probably not a good thing but no part of Jason has stopped fuming enough to acknowledge that. 

Jason’s chest heaves as he reaches the edge of the tree line. He presses a palm against a nearby oak and bends over, out of breath. He hadn’t paused to rest or think since he hit the ground and now here is in sweats over his suit and nothing else. It really wasn’t that far, but between trying not to put weight on his ankle and forgetting about it long enough to make it hurt worse he had exhausted himself.

It’s still dark, Jason pulls out his phone to check the time and realizes it’s only 3am. He leans his body against the tree and curses. What the frick is he supposed to do now? Going back to the manor is out of the question, but where else does he have to go?

With no more answers then he had originally he begins the trek towards a closed 7/11 on the side of the road. 

Why did Bruce just give up on him like that? He had honestly though he had been doing well. Both as Robin and Jason Wayne. But Bruce had just told him that wasn’t the case. If he wasn’t trusted enough to help with a few simple thugs, what could he be trusted with?

The only light around the station is a worn out phone pole. Jason walks away from this and towards an abandoned pump. He remembers the run down gas station / tool store he and a few of his street friends used to hang out at. The owner, Senor Hernandez, had always smiled at them and occasionally would hand out cookies from his wife. His wife had died during one of the Joker’s attacks a year before Jason was adopted and the man had closed his store not long after. Jason doesn’t know what happened to him after, but he had heard the rumors. 

He shakes his head to clear it out. He needs to focus. Where can he go? He has his phone, an unlimited credit card, and $100. He doesn’t want to use the card, that seems like relying on Bruce, and he doesn’t want to do that. The cash though was simply saved up from all the times he had been given ‘spending money’ for the movies or mall. He rarely used it, now maybe it’ll come in handy, but where will he let it take him to? There’s no wher- Wait. He and Dick had been on good terms and texting back and forth for almost a month and a half now. They had even had lunch and a few days out together. Would his older brother accept him if he asked to crash on his couch? He doubts the man would report him to Bruce, they’re still too much at odds. 

That’s perfect, he has enough cash for a taxi to Bludhaven.

______________________________________________________________________________

It’s not until he’s in the exact same position he was in almost seven weeks ago that he rethinks his plan. It’s almost six in the morning now, with the drive added to the wait for a taxi. Luckily it’s a Saturday, and Dick normally has those off, but what if he’s not alone? He didn’t have the time to hack the camera’s this time. What if he’s pissed that he woke him up? After all Nightwing has his own patrols. Jason shifts his feet and cringes at the slight pain. It’s too late to back out now, if Dick refuses his couch Jason can always….. Go somewhere else. Yeah, it’ll be fine. Totally.

He sucks in another shaky breath and knocks on the door. Dick has told him that he has security alarms, if someone gets too close to his door at night it’ll set those off. Dick’ll be awake now. Jason counts down in his head as he waits for the door to open. He feels tired in every bone of his body, from patrol or his argument with Batman he doesn’t know. All he wants to do is fall down and maybe not move again for a week. 

The door swings open and gives Jason a weird sense of deja vu.

“Jason? What are you doing here? Is everything alright?”

The eighteen year old in front of him looks just as exhausted as Jason feels and guilt comes crashing down into his gut. He shouldn’t have bothered Dick, it wasn't his fault Bruce had problems trusting the right people. The teen’s face is filled with concern. Jason swallows and blinks hard.

“Bruce, he, I just. Can I crash here? Just for tonight?”

Dick’s face softens into a look of understanding. “Sure thing littlewing.”

He opens the door for Jason to come through and ushers him over to his lumpy couch. In silence Dick finds a blanket and extra pillow while Jason sits numbly on the cushions. Dick plops down next to him after dropping the bundle next to him.

“Do you, ah, want to talk about it?” He says softly, softer than Jason’s ever really heard him talk. Dick is such an energetic and passionate person that it doesn’t fit in his voice. It’s awkward coming out of Dick’s mouth, but it still sounds right.

Jason shakes his head. “It’s probably stupid anyway.”

Dick bumps him in the shoulder. “I doubt that, if you ran away over it.”

Jason ducks his head and peers up through his black hair. “He doesn’t trust me.”

Dick snorts and Jason shoots him a glare. “Sorry. He doesn’t trust anyone completely Jay, that’s half of my problem with him.”

“But he said I was ‘emotionally compromised’ just because the robbery was in Crime Alley. We’ve fought there before and I was fine. He locked me in the d**m car Dick!”

Dick gives him an understanding look. In a surprising move Dick tugs him into his side. Despite their growing comradery they hadn’t really hugged much, Jason finds he likes it. He leans into it and the lack of a need to hold himself together causes his eyes to water. 

“He shouldn’t have done that, it was mean and unnecessary.” Jason nods into Dick’s shoulder and inhales shakily. “But, no matter how unhealthy it is, this is just B’s way of protecting you. It doesn’t mean he doesn’t trust you, just that he’s an a**hole with issues.”

It’s Jason’s turn to snort, “Does that apply to you too?”

Dick stills beside him and Jason tenses in response, hoping he hadn’t just lost Dick too. Thankfully Dick relaxes again and leans back against the couch, bringing Jason with him. “Sometimes. It’s not our problem at the moment though.” He pauses. “But whatever happens between me and him, it doesn’t affect us, ok? You can always count on me, and that has nothing to do with him.”

Jason's breath hitches and he leans away from Dick. “Really?”

The man has an earnest look on his face as he nods. Jason leans back against him and lets his eyes fall closed to the rhythm of his older brother’s breathing. 

______________________________________________________________________________

Jason wakes up to the smell of cooking pancakes. He somehow, read: Dick Grayson, made his way under a blanket and twists his way out of it and off of the couch. His ankle feels much better, and he’s thankful he won’t have to mention that to Dick. Until he looks down and notices the pressure cuff around it. Oh.

He drags the blanket along with him and into the apartment’s small kitchen, unwilling to leave behind its accompanying sense of security. Dick is there with headphones in, bopping his head to whatever is playing on them. A pan is on the oven and a plate of singed pancakes is sitting on the counter. Dick does a twirl and notices Jason.

“Jaybird!” He pulls out his ear bud. “How’d you sleep?”

Jason glances at the clock, it’s 11am. “Good.”

Dick chuckles, “Not a morning person?”

Jason shakes his head and sits down at the island, burying his head in his arms. Last night is playing through his head and he blushes. “Uh, Dick?” 

The man hums in response, flipping a pancake.

“Thanks. For everything.” 

Dick’s smile softens and he ruffles Jason’s hair.

“I spoke to Alfred.”

Jason straightens up. 

“He said B was really worried.”

Jason scoffs and Dick shoots him a look.

“I told him he could let him know that you were ok, but he better not come snooping around.”

Jason relaxes. “Thanks.”

Dick turns off the stove and places two plates on the counter. Dick immediately pours a massive amount of syrup on his and Jason’s nose crinkles. 

“I think you should go back.”

Jason sighs. “I know.”

“And….?”

“I’ll get a cab back after lunch.”

Dick smiles proudly at him and something inside Jason preens a little.

“I can drive you, but we have to get shakes first.”

Jason grins. “Deal.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Bruce had met him at the door, staring wistfully at the retreating motorcycle before shifting his whole attention to Jason. 

“Jason.”

“Bruce.” He doesn’t relent, the man has to realize where he went wrong or there’s no hope for him, much less his relationship with Dick.

Bruce sighs. “I made a mistake.”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry for not trusting you enough.”

Jason raises an eyebrow, he’s been practicing, “Did Alf tell you to say that?”

“No.” Bruce squirms a little. “He may have explained some things though.”

“Good. I forgive you, just don’t do it again.”

Bruce crouches down and pulls Jason into a tight hug. “As long as you don’t run away like that again.”

“I’ll try.”

Bruce stands up, but before he can go back inside Jason blurts, “Maybe you should listen to him about Dick too.” 

Bruce’s face hardens but he nods sharply, Jason grins brightly “Great!”

He dashes inside to find Alfred before Bruce can pin him for a grounding.

**Author's Note:**

> So I wrote this on a whim, I'm hoping to just explore and develop Jason and Dick's brotherly relationship, and follow a little bit of canon. Canon is entirely blurred though. I'm pulling from everywhere, so expect no canon continuity. I don't know when, or if I'll update this, but feel free to leave any opinions below.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
